Biographical Information
Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita was elected to his first public office in 2002. He was sworn in January 1, 2003 as the youngest Secretary of State in the country at the time.
Secretary Rokita is now serving his second consecutive four-year term in office. During these two terms, he has continued to be a leader in election reform, securities reform, civic involvement, and he has continued to be dedicated to promoting economic growth in the state by removing unnecessary administrative barriers and promoting the state of Indiana around the country and world.
Secretary Rokita’s leadership extends beyond Indiana’s borders. Secretary Rokita was chosen by his fellow Secretaries of State to lead them as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). Secretary Rokita currently advises the federal government on election reform matters as a member of the Board of Advisers of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Secretary Rokita was also elected by his peers nationally to serve on the nine-member Executive Board of the federal EAC’s Standards Board from 2005 through 2007.
Secretary Rokita has testified before the United States Congress and has spoken from coast to coast on Indiana's model election reforms. He also served as Chair of NASS' New Millennium Young Voters Summit of 2004, Chair of the standing NASS Voter Participation Committee, and Vice Chair of the NASS Securities Regulation Committee.
Secretary Rokita has also represented Indiana and its model election, business, and securities reforms internationally. The Secretary led an Indiana delegation of mayors and legislators to the Globalization Summit in Washington, DC, and he served as the highest-ranking elected U.S. Official on an economic development and cultural mission to Vietnam in 2005. Secretary Rokita also joined fellow Secretaries of State on a mission to Taiwan to conference with national leaders and strengthen economic ties and will lead a delegation of Secretaries on a return trip there in 2008. In 2007, Secretary Rokita became the first Indiana statewide-elected official to explore opportunities in the countries of India and Switzerland, and he also met with various leaders in China. In, 2004 Secretary Rokita was instrumental in organizing the first international teacher exchange between Indiana and Taiwan.
As chair of the Business Law Survey Commission, Secretary Rokita works with leading private sector attorneys, professors, and corporate leaders to modernize and streamline Indiana's business laws to keep pace with the changing nature of commerce.
In addition to developing a more business-friendly legal infrastructure, the Business Services Division of the Secretary of State's office created the online Business Services Portal – a rich resource designed to help entrepreneurs navigate legal requirements and government regulations associated with starting a business online.
In recognition of Secretary Rokita’s leadership as an e-government pioneer, in 2006 the NFIB presented him with the Small Business Statesman of the Year Award. Secretary Rokita’s office continues to refine the online business portal by maintaining open communication with business owners, attorneys, accountants, and other representatives in order to stay up to date with the changing needs of modern day business.
Todd and his wife Kathy
In elections, Secretary Rokita’s office led the program that ensured that every Indiana polling place is equipped to allow voters with disabilities to privately and independently cast their ballots. All county voter lists are now linked and updated in real time to eliminate duplicate registrations – saving taxpayer dollars and improving the integrity of our election process for Hoosier voters. In 2007, Hoosiers had the opportunity to test Vote Centers – a concept that utilizes technology to update our election process, allowing us to vote the way we live, with confidence, and not bound by the traditional precinct structure.
In the area of Securities, Secretary Rokita created a specialized unit to target and bring to justice the worst-of-the-worst white-collar criminals. By working with law enforcement throughout the state, the Prosecution Assistance Unit has helped file charges in 20 high-profile investment fraud cases in Indiana, and has established a 25-1 conviction-to-dismissal ratio with more than 200 years of jail time sentenced.
Secretary Rokita has also created the first statewide investor education program to teach Hoosiers how to be smarter and safer investors by avoiding pitfalls created by scam artists.
A native of Munster, Indiana, Secretary Rokita holds a law degree from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wabash College, where he earned distinction as an Eli Lilly Fellow. After law school, he worked as a practicing attorney for several years before serving as General Counsel to former Indiana Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy and later as Deputy Secretary of State.
Secretary Rokita is a member of the Director's Circle of the Indiana Council for Economic Education, the Indiana State Bar, the Knights of Columbus, the National Rifle Association, and Employers in Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). A commercial-rated pilot, he is a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the Indiana chapter of the International Flying Farmers, and he volunteers flight time to transport people in need of non-emergency medical care to Midwest hospitals and clinics for treatment. In 2005, he was selected by The Council of State Governments to participate in the prestigious Toll Fellowship Program, and in 2006 he was selected to be one of 23 young leaders who participated in the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership.
Todd and his wife Kathy worship at St. Mary Parish in Indianapolis, and Todd is also a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Munster.
